Metallic fence-post.



H. HIGGIN. METALLIC FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1912.

1,056,172. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

HENRY HIGGIN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

METALLIC FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Application filed November 6, 1912. Serial No. 729,740.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HIGGIN, a cit-izen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic FencePosts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invent-ion relates to fence posts made of sheet metal and formed into a tapering tube and provided with means integral with the post for securing the fence wires thereto.

My invention consists of that certain novel construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed whereby the wire may be supported independently of the locking means, in order to prevent any vertical strain on the locking tongues by means of which the wires are locked to the post.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the post. Fig. 3 is a cross section. Fig. i is a plan view of a portion of the blank from which the post is constructed.

The posts are formed from a suitable blank of sheet metal 1, with its side edges cut so as to form a tubular post uniformly tapering from top to bottom when the blank is bent to shape. One edge of the metal sheet is turned over at right angles to form a flange 2 running lengthwise from top to bottom, and a series of notches 3, 3, are cut in this flange to receive the fence wires 4c, 1, when the post is constructed. In the opposite longitudinal edge of the blank, a series of tongues 5 are cut, corresponding in number to the notches, with one tongue opposite each notch and with the base of the tongue at the upper end. The blank is then bent to tubular shape to form a vertical seam 6, with the tongues 5 projecting outwardly in close proximity to and in register each with its respective notch. he posts are then driven directly into the ground, or where the nature of the ground requires they are set in suitable post holes and the wires strung through the notches and under the tongues. Each tongue is then locked around its respective wire and the wires are thus secured to the post.

The flange 2 serves as a very effective strengthening flange for the post against bending strains, and the weight of the wires is entirely supported by the flange. The tongues serve to lock the wires against lateral displacement, while the strain of any weight upon the wires is not carried by the locking tongues but by the flange. In addition to this, inasmuch as the locking tongues are out only from the edge of the metallic blank, the bodyof the metal is not weakened, as is usually the case where the tongues are struck up from the body of the blank. Moreover, when the fence wires are locked in place, the tube itself is prevented from springing open at the seam. Inasmuch as the tongues open downwardly while the notches open in an upwardly direction, a much more secure method of attaching the wires to the posts is provided than is the case where the attaching tongues open up wardly, as is necessary where the locking tongues support the wire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. A metallic fence post made from a blank of suitable sheet metal bent to form a tube, with one side edge of the blank formed with a right angled flange, notches in the flange adapted to support a fence wire, with tongues cut in the opposite edge of the blank adjoining the respective notches in the flange to look around the fence wire and hold it from displacement.

2. A metallic fence post made from a blank of suitable sheet metal bent to form a tube with one side edge of the blank formed with a right angled flange, notches in the flange adapted to support a fence wire, with tongues cut in the opposite edge of the blank adjoining the respective notches in the flange, said tongues projecting from above downwardly to lock around thewire from above to press and hold the wire in the supporting notches.

HENRY I-IIGGIN.

Attest:

HELEN L. AICI-IHOLZ, ANNA F. DIENST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

